Southport Manager Neil Danns Receives Suspended Ban for Betting Violations

Southport manager Neil Danns has been handed a suspended six-month ban due to past violations of the Football Association's betting regulations.

The former midfielder, aged 42, has also been fined £1,000 after admitting to placing 65 bets on football matches.

Danns, who currently manages the National League North team Southport, committed these offenses between February 17, 2007, and August 13, 2022, during his playing career.

Throughout this period, he played for several clubs, including Birmingham City, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, and Bolton Wanderers.

Since 2014, FA regulations prohibit anyone involved with clubs in the top eight tiers of English football from betting on any football-related events globally.

Of the 65 bets Danns placed, 62 occurred before the rules changed, and three were placed afterward. Prior to 2014, participants were only banned from betting on matches or competitions they were directly involved in or could influence.

Among the pre-2014 bets, mostly accumulators, two included selections where Danns' team could lose, and three involved bets on his team to win.

A report from the Football Association Regulatory Commission described Danns' bets as "modest stakes on a 'Saturday accumulator' across a broad range of games."

The commission further noted, "There is no indication of match-fixing, use of insider information, or any suspicious activity or betting patterns."

Overall, Danns wagered £2,137.68 and won £814.43, resulting in a net loss of £1,323.25.

The six-month ban is suspended until the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.

This decision coincides with the FA's three-and-a-half-year ban of Ryan Bowman for betting on matches in which he participated.

The 33-year-old former Exeter City, Shrewsbury Town, and Torquay United forward placed 6,397 bets over an eight-year span.

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